Rising Suicide Rates Among US Teens Bother Experts

Suicide is not just an action that offshoots from a mental health problem, but also a preventable public health issue affecting youngsters more than people of other age groups. Despite the discouraging trends of suicide specific to an age group, ethnicity or gender, the stigma attached to mental disorders prevents at-risk individuals from seeking help and discussing their mental health symptoms with the health care providers.

While stigma entails the lack of compassion, comprehension and negative stereotyping of such mental health issues, it also often isolates an individual to such an extreme extent that he or she is forced to commit suicide.

A recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the United States suggests that suicide rates among adolescents have been steadily rising since 2007. Although the report illustrates that the suicide rates for boys in the age group of 15 to 19 years increased by 30 percent from 2007 to 2015, the suicide rate for girls doubled in the same age group and period. The CDC analysis looked at the data between 1975 and 2015 to find that suicides rates that were declining from 1990 to 2007 rose again from 2007 to 2015.

The consistent rise in suicide rate across all demographic groups has become a major concern for medical practitioners and experts. Since suicides often occur due to a number of biological, social and psychological reasons that tend to pile up with time, it has become obligatory to investigate the underlying reasons to prevent such a spike in suicide. Rather than stigmatizing such innate fears and mental health complications, people wrestling with suicidal thoughts need to be given adequate opportunities to open up.

Suicide rate for females highest in 2015

Based on the assessment of the suicide rates between 1975 and 2015, it was discovered that the suicide rate for girls rose to its highest in 40 years, particularly between 2007 and 2015. With 1,289 suicides among males and 305 suicides among females in the age group of 15 to 19 years in 1975, the suicide rates for male teens was 12 per 100,000 individuals but increased to 18 per 100,000 in 1990.

The suicide rates for female teens continued to follow a similar pattern as males; however, their suicide rate continued to be lower than the males. In 2015, there were 1,537 suicides among males and 524 among females in the age group of 15 to 19 years.

These numbers pose as a grim reminder that preventing suicide is a growing public health concern and supports why suicide continues to be among the top 10 causes of death in the U.S. A similarl independent report released by the CDC last year had showed a disturbing 24 percent increase in the suicide rate among the U.S. population between 1999 and 2014.

Risk factors for teenage suicide

Expressing concern over the increasing rates of suicide, Dr. Christine Moutier of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention said, "It is really important to understand that suicide happens as a culmination of multiple risk factors, always multiple, that pile on top and sort of converge at a moment in time."

The increase in suicide rates is also happening at a time when teen depression rates are rising while the stigma or fear of ostracizing prevents the vulnerable groups from getting the help they need. The unaddressed symptoms of mental disorders are an important factor that lead to suicide. Experts indicate that there's an increase in the number of youngsters struggling with mental health problems. They attribute this phenomenon to heavy social media use, bullying, economic constraints, family issues and exposure to violence.

Given below are some of the prominent factors that lead to suicide:

Financial hardship: The increase in suicide rates between 2007 and 2015 occurred at a time of financial depression. An economic recession is a life-changing factor that inflicts innumerable constraints, often coercing adults and even children to commit suicide.

Negative impact of social media: While there is a huge potential to prevent and reduce suicide via social media, negative exposure to cyber bullying, competitive feeling due to comparison and glamorization of suicide are a major risk factor among adolescents.

It's okay to be not okay

Choosing the best treatment plan for an affected teen should be left on a qualified medical expert. However, it's our duty to make them available the necessary help. If you think that your child's behavior is indicating the development of a mental health issue, such as depression, anxiety disorders, or risk for suicide, White River Academy can help.

It is one of the leading boarding schools for troubled teens to recover from their addictions and mental illnesses. Our experts follow a holistic approach in providing help to recovering teenage boys. Call at our 24/7 helpline number 866-300-0616 to know more about our therapeutic boarding schools in Utah or chat online today.

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